Usually, when wanting to print digital images, data relating to the paper format that is to receive the print information, is sent to the printer. Because of the variety of sizes of information supports, some printers have devices for checking the size of the information support available, other printers are equipped with several trays allowing several recording support formats to be offered.
Many printers for printing medical digital images offer two film sizes at the same time, and the user determines in advance the size of film wanted for use.
Usually, the medical imaging system comprises, as represented in FIG. 1, at least one medical imaging device 1, for example such as an MRI, CT scanner, digital radiology, echography machine, etc. linked to a viewing station 2. The viewing station 2 comprises a computer for processing the signal coming from the medical imaging device in order to modify the appearance of the image, thus making diagnosis easier. In general, at least one selection of images obtained by the medical imaging device 1 is sent to a printer system 3 via a link 6, for example a bus, so as to print the images on a print support 5 such as film for example. Therefore the user selects on a keyboard 4 linked to the bus 6, or on a menu displayed at the viewing station, for example, the size of the film and the number of images to print on this film. A computer linked to the bus 6 takes this data and generates a “bitmap” image in which each point of the image is represented by its digital values (gray levels or three-color). This bitmap image is sent to the printer system 3 for example via the bus 6. In usual systems the last print format used is selected by default for the next printing.
When a series of many images is being printed, it is usual and normal to think of supplying the print support format at the start of the printing operation. Given the large number of images to be printed, the operator will usually select a large size support. However, it often happens that the last images of the series are less numerous and that, in this case, they could be printed on a small size support. Such printing of the last images of a series onto a smaller format support is not always done as this operation generally requires the print support format to be changed in advance, takes time and requires the operator to intervene.